A good day for many companies today with the successful launch of AsiaSat 9, not the least being the company that the satellite is named after, AsiaSat.

AsiaSat's Statment

Hong Kong, 29 September 2017 – Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), Asia’s leading satellite operator announced successful lift-off of AsiaSat 9, the company’s most powerful and advanced communications satellite on 29 September at Baikonur time 00:52 a.m. (02:52 a.m. Hong Kong Time). It is the 5th AsiaSat satellite built by SSL and the 5th launch collaboration with ILS’s Proton Breeze M rocket.

AsiaSat 9, AsiaSat’s most powerful satellite, successfully lifted off from Baikonur on 29 September 2017

AsiaSat acquired the first signals from the satellite in Hong Kong 7 hours, 54 minutes after the launch, and approximately 9 hours, 13 minutes after lift-off, the AsiaSat 9 spacecraft successfully separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle. AsiaSat 9 is now moving to its operational position in a Geostationary Orbit, where in-orbit testing will be carried out over the few weeks before it begins commercial service.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the mission teams of our long-time partners - Space Systems Loral, ILS and Khrunichev for their dedication and professionalism in making today’s launch a huge success. We are eager to see our customers and Asia-Pacific benefit from the quality and reliability of service AsiaSat 9 will make available,” said Andrew Jordan, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.

This next generation satellite, based on the SSL 1300 platform, is designed to replace AsiaSat 4 and to provide multiple C-, Ku- and Ka-Band payloads for direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcast, video distribution, VSAT broadband networks and mobility services at 122 degrees East longitude. With innovative and cutting-edge features such as Asia’s highest powered 110 watts C-band TWTA, special filter design, star tracker and hall effect thrusters, AsiaSat 9 is able to deliver enhanced performance, higher efficiency and operational stability.

AsiaSat 9 will also offer brand new coverage for high growth markets in Asia, including the world’s first dedicated Ku-band Myanmar beam, high-power Ku-band beams for Indonesia and Mongolia, in addition to two enhanced Ku-band beams serving Australasia and East Asia, and a wide C-band footprint that offers significantly improved power over Asia, Australasia and the Pacific region.